County of Tuolumne Grand Jury 12855 Justice Center Drive

Conclusions 12

• CL1 Page 10
  Belleview is a small school, but there are many small details that contribute to a safe community and culture. School administration reported the students feel safe in reporting concerns directly to staff. While there are areas that are open from the school, fencing is likely not possible due to steep hillsides. The safety plan is accessible and provided to staff and students. The school should be commended for such a small ratio of students to staff during breaks and recesses. FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONS, AND COMMENDATIONS
• CL2 Page 12
  Big Oak Flat is a small school district; however, their size and location contribute to a safe community and culture. The students feel safe in reporting concerns directly to staff, indicating trust and an openness to communication. The staff have been working with many of the same children, their siblings, and families for many years and generations. Most of the students have grown together from kindergarten to seniors in high school, creating a tight bond and camaraderie among students and staff. The safety plan is accessible, and it is provided to staff and students. FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONS, AND COMMENDATIONS
• CL3 Page 13
  Columbia Elementary is a marked learning institution in the quaint town of Columbia, which does actively work to improve the safety for the school, including the creation of a robust safety plan. The school has a well-defined plan for the safe evacuation of students in the event of a crisis, as well as protocols for student release and pick-up by parents following an incident. During the time of the grand jury interview, this school was experiencing a transition between administrators and hiring, while making sure that there is continuity in safety planning. Staff training commences prior to the start of the academic year and continues throughout, including regular in-house training sessions that are held on Fridays, from 1:40pm to 3:15pm. With cameras and frequent training for staff, the school overall is prepared for incidents that may compromise the safety of the school. 13 FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONS, AND COMMENDATIONS
• CL4 Page 15
  Overall, the campus layout is expansive with the multi-levels of classrooms and play areas. This requires staff to work together for safety and supervision. Curtis Creek utilizes a safety plan, as other schools do, and overall, staff feels that it is important and necessary. The school holds routine drills and keeps track of this, even thinking outside the box to rename the drills “Get Away” to not scare students and make sure they can easily remember what to do. In addition to these drills, Curtis Creek also participates in ALICE training. The school attempts to greet all visitors to the campus and utilizes name badges so that staff know they checked in with the office before entering the students' areas. The geography of the campus provides some difficult to watch areas, with lots of fencing and visibility from the roadways. This is something to think about when discussing staff to student ratios and supervision during outside play times. FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONS, AND COMMENDATIONS
• CL5 Page 17
  Unlike all other schools listed in this report, The Country School through Gold Rush Charter School is run by slightly different set of governing laws. While there are no cameras, the administration expressed that there has never been any type of issue for which a look back on a camera would have proven useful. Per staff, the culture of safety at The Country School is valued by students, family, and staff. Because of this, many families support students coming to the staff with concern, and parents play a very active role in advocacy and support to the school. FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONS, AND COMMENDATIONS
• CL6 Page 19
  Jamestown Elementary has taken many pains and precautions to ensure safety for its student and staff population. From cameras to limited access points, it is clear that much thought and intention has gone into screening traffic in and out of campus. While staff are trained and updated with policy, there are still some recommendations that can be made to improve and enhance school safety. During breaks and recess, the student to adult ratio during recess/breaks is 40:1, which may be a point of concern in terms of supervision and safety but was stated to be adequate at this time. The school implements access control to its offices and campus, ensuring security. The school uses radios as a part of their safety plan process, with four different radio channels for administration, aides, and maintenance personnel. While the school has maintenance personnel, there are no designated security staff universally available. The administration serves as the liaison between law enforcement and the school. FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONS, AND COMMENDATIONS
• CL7 Page 21
  Sonora Elementary utilizes the standard practice of ALICE training involving both students and staff. When asked in interviews, it was stated that the school's safety plan is accessible and perceived as important. It is executed with the use of radios across different roles within the school, including administration, aids, and maintenance staff. Based on the physical location of Sonora Elementary School, situated in an urban environment, it would be greatly beneficial to increase surveillance of parking lots and other areas. FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONS, AND COMMENDATIONS
• CL8 Page 23
  The organization and detail to knowing when drills and trainings have occurred is important and admirable. Staff training logs are maintained, including a checklist of training and a binder for records. Continuing to partner with local law enforcement to complete these trainings and improve students' attention and engagement is notable, as well. As any observer can note, there are many entrances and exits from the Sonora High campus, as it is well integrated into a more urban environment. While access to offices or campus is not controlled, there are designated security personnel available, and the administration acts as a liaison between the school and law enforcement. Sonora High School’s classrooms are supplied with buckets full of food, water, and emergency supplies, which can also be used for emergency toilets during long lockdown situations. Evacuation plans are posted on the walls. It is commendable that the school employs the use of the “Stop It” app, where students are encouraged to report safety concerns, which allows for anonymous reporting and after-hours monitoring. The discipline policy cracks down on the presence of weapons on campus with a five-day suspension for students found carrying a pocketknife. The school also employs a safe schools app and maintains a cumulative file to help identify previously violent students. One great challenge to Sonora High School is keeping track of the location of students, made particularly harder due to off-site education and students being of driving age and independent. FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONS, AND COMMENDATIONS
• CL9 Page 26
  Soulsbyville Elementary staff and teachers are trained and prepared for maintaining school safety. In general, access to the school is limited for vehicles simply based on the one-way-in and one-way out traffic flow. This also creates traffic backup onto Soulsbyville Road, which is problematic in many ways. There are cameras around campus, but no centralized place to view the camera feeds. The school feels that there are strong bonds and collaboration between parents and staff, all to provide support to students and ensure safety. FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONS, AND COMMENDATIONS
• CL10 Page 28
  Summerville Elementary School has a well-structured safety plan in place, with access to radios for all staff and a panic button in the office. Regular drills are conducted monthly and are documented by the school secretary. The grand jury found that Summerville Elementary School’s layout seemed incredibly helpful to maintaining safety. The office is located on top of a hill, allowing for a comprehensive view of the parking lot. Furthermore, a fixed monitor with live camera streaming ensures continuous surveillance of the campus. Despite the strong emphasis on security, there are areas of ambiguity and potential improvement. Based on interviews, staff were aware and actively working to find creative solutions. Overall, the grand jury was extremely impressed with the staff’s care and attention to safety, as well as the actual school set up and layout. FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONS, AND COMMENDATIONS
• CL11
  29 Summerville High School participates in the ALICE training, and benefits from collaboration with local law enforcement and community members. Teachers and other staff can call for a lockdown from any classroom, using the PA system, which is up-to- date and functional. In regard to safety planning, staff training occurs before the school year starts, with online training that yields certification, and safety topics are also addressed in monthly staff meetings. The school keeps a record of these certificates. Substitute teachers receive safety training from the county, as stated by an interviewee. The school has evacuation plans in place, with buses available for transportation if needed. There is a system to notify parents in case of an emergency evacuation. The school manages visitors by putting into place identification measures, such as visitor tags. The school has a significant number of cameras, which are monitored by security/maintenance staff and the principal. The ratio of staff to students is relatively low for a high school setting, which is commendable. During after-hour events, designated administrators, coaches, and teachers provide security, with maintenance staff on site from 4 am to 10:30 pm. FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONS, AND COMMENDATIONS
• CL12 Page 32
  The school is at the disadvantage of not having pre-established, annual or ideally biannual ALICE training jointly with TCSO. This may be due to COVID issues and high demand of the TCSO, but it is a valued moment of connection and education. There are supplies in all classrooms with extended lockdown resources. The location of Twain Harte School is wonderfully integrated into the town of Twain Harte, making it accessible for parents and staff, but also lending itself to more non- student visitors on campus for recreation. Staff from the front office are tasked with looking out into the yard and blacktop areas to greet any visitors who are not coming into the office to sign in as a visitor. From a safety perspective, the school buildings are being updated. The addition of new fencing was suggested by teachers demonstrating that engagement with staff around safety is high and input is welcome. FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONS, AND COMMENDATIONS

Agency Responses 7

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No Responses Found 5

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